Burnside
At 3,104 residents, Burnside combines a median age of 37 with a strongly detached housing pattern: 88.0% of homes are separate houses and 48.8% have four or more bedrooms. This profile suits households wanting space because larger homes are far more common than apartments, which account for only 0.4% of dwellings. Burnside sits near Nambour but feels more car oriented, with 83.3% driving to work and just 1.0% using public transport. Household income is at the 56.3rd percentile, above the midpoint rather than in a premium income bracket. Its 2.81% annual growth trend is paired with an aging trajectory, including a 3.7 percentage point rise in the senior share.
Local council: Sunshine Coast
Population
3,104
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,626/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
26
Burnside suits buyers prioritising detached space over apartment living. Separate houses account for 88.0% of dwellings, while 48.8% have four or more bedrooms and only 0.4% are apartments, so larger stock is much more common than compact formats. A monthly mortgage figure of $1,733 sits alongside weekly rent of $420; mortgage payments equal 24.6% of household income and rent equals 25.8%, with neither flagged for stress. With 49.6% of homes mortgaged and 27.5% owned outright, this is a strong mortgage belt. No current median house price is available, so compare recent Burnside and Nambour sales by land size, condition and bedroom count.
For Buyers
Burnside suits buyers prioritising detached space over apartment living. Separate houses account for 88.0% of dwellings, while 48.8% have four or more bedrooms and only 0.4% are apartments, so larger stock is much more common than compact formats. A monthly mortgage figure of $1,733 sits alongside weekly rent of $420; mortgage payments equal 24.6% of household income and rent equals 25.8%, with neither flagged for stress. With 49.6% of homes mortgaged and 27.5% owned outright, this is a strong mortgage belt. No current median house price is available, so compare recent Burnside and Nambour sales by land size, condition and bedroom count.
For Investors
Burnside has a moderate rental base, with 19.1% of occupied dwellings rented and weekly rent at $420. Compared with the 88.0% separate house share, the rental portion is lower, so investors are mainly assessing detached homes rather than a large apartment market. Vacancy is 4.1%, which can give tenants more choice and reduce the urgency behind rent bidding. Development activity reached 22 applications in 12 months, including residential work and infrastructure activity, creating a watch point for future supply and amenity. The 2.81% annual growth trend and overseas migration as the primary driver support a demand case, although no median sale price is available for a reliable gross yield calculation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
42
Last 12 Months
26
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+160.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Burnside
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Nambour Special School
Burnside State High School
Burnside State School
Demographics
Burnside's 3,104 residents have a median age of 37, which is 3 years below the national comparison, yet the trajectory is aging because the senior share has risen 3.7 percentage points and the working share has fallen 6.0 points. University attainment is 23.2%, 6.9 points below the national comparison, while overseas born residents make up 14.9%, 6.7 points below. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry responses number 1,389, 383 and 350. Christianity and no religion are recorded for 1,446 and 1,372 people. Average household size is 2.7, 0.2 above the national comparison, helping explain couples with children at 42.1% and couples without children at 40.3%. Compared with nearby Nambour's town centre setting, Burnside is more detached and Anglo leaning.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.0%
Houses
11.6%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Burnside's housing stock is heavily detached: 88.0% separate houses, 11.6% semi detached homes and 0.4% apartments. Four or more bedrooms account for 48.8% of dwellings, compared with 37.4% for three bedrooms, supporting larger households but limiting compact choice. Tenure is 27.5% owned outright, 49.6% mortgaged and 19.1% rented. The mortgage share is higher than outright ownership, indicating many households are still paying down debt. Monthly mortgage commitments of $1,733 and weekly rent of $420 equal 24.6% and 25.8% of household income, so neither group is flagged for stress. No median house price is available; compare Burnside with Nambour and Woombye on land size, dwelling age and renovation needs rather than bedroom count alone.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $420.
$725
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $725 · units $540
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$733
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.1%
Unoccupied
47
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
42.1%
Couples with children
40.3%
Couples, no children
15.9%
Single parent
883
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Burnside's leading industry at 25.6% and 259 workers, followed by construction at 12.9% and 131, education at 9.8% and 99, retail at 7.1% and 72, and professional and technical work at 6.2% and 63. This mix links local demand to care, building, schools, shops and specialist services rather than one narrow employer base. Labour force participation is 62.5%, unemployment is 4.8%, and 52.9% of workers are full time. Personal weekly income is $733 and household income is $1,626, placing household income at the 56.3rd percentile, above the midpoint. SEIFA is mixed: education and occupation is in decile 4, economic resources in decile 8, disadvantage in decile 4, and advantage and disadvantage in decile 5. The gap suggests assets and income capacity are stronger than formal qualification levels.
Unemployment
4.8%
Labour Force
1,535
Unemployed
73
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
52.9%
Part-time
38.2%
Participation
62.5%
Employed
1,462
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.2%
Postgraduate
3.5%
Born Overseas
14.9%
Dwellings
1,102
Transport to Work
Daily life in Burnside is strongly car dependent: 83.3% drive to work, compared with 1.0% using public transport, while 10.3% work from home and 1.4% walk or cycle. Three nearby government schools cover primary, high school and special school settings, including options in Burnside and Nambour; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address. The suburb's IRSAD is 982, in decile 5, close to the middle rather than the top or bottom of the national scale. Volunteering is 15.3%, while 9.1% need assistance, so community participation coexists with a meaningful support requirement. No local crime rate is available, so safety decisions should use current police information and inspect the specific street at different times. Compared with a transit oriented centre, Burnside's lower 1.0% public transport use makes a reliable car more important.
Drive
83.3%
Public Transport
1.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
10.3%
Growth Outlook
Burnside is an established suburb with a forecast trend of 2.81% annual growth, and overseas migration is the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 27.5% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share is up 3.7 percentage points and the working share is down 6.0. Affordability worsened from 48.3 in 2011 to 51.2 in 2021, alongside 20.5% rent growth and negative 7.5% real income growth, so demand is expanding while household pressure is rising. Gentrification is rated 8, with a stage of Not gentrifying, while separate shift indicators score 21 and describe Early signs. Growth remains above zero, but the aging pattern means family demand may increasingly sit alongside downsizer and service needs.
Population trend: Sunshine Coast council area
Burnside sits in the Sunshine Coast council area. These are the council area's residents, not Burnside's.
Residents 2025
381,957
Growth, 5 yr average
+2.5%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+2.0%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Burnside compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burnside a good suburb to live in?
Burnside can suit households wanting detached space, with 88.0% of dwellings separate houses and 48.8% containing four or more bedrooms. Daily life is more car dependent than in a transit focused centre because 83.3% drive to work and only 1.0% use public transport.
What is the median house price in Burnside?
A current median house price is not available for Burnside, so avoid treating one advertised sale as the suburb benchmark. Compare at least 3 recent comparable sales by land size, condition, bedrooms and street, then test the result against $420 weekly rent and the $1,733 monthly mortgage figure.
What schools are in Burnside?
Burnside State School and Burnside State High School are located in Burnside. Nambour Special School is nearby, giving families access to 3 government school settings across primary, high school and specialist education. Check the exact enrolment zone because boundaries can differ from suburb boundaries.
Is Burnside safe?
A suburb specific crime rate is not available, so safety should be checked using current Queensland Police information and an inspection of the street at different times. Burnside has 3,104 residents and 83.3% car based commuting, making lighting, traffic movement and passive surveillance important local considerations.
Is Burnside good for property investment?
Burnside has 19.1% rented dwellings, $420 weekly rent and a 4.1% vacancy rate. The 2.81% annual growth trend and overseas migration driver are supportive, while 22 development applications in 12 months warrant supply checks. Without a median sale price, compare several properties before estimating yield.
How is Burnside's population changing?
Burnside has 3,104 residents today, with growth across the wider area running at 27.5% over 10 years and a forecast trend of 2.81% annually. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share has increased 3.7 percentage points, while overseas migration is the primary growth driver.
What development is occurring in Burnside?
There were 22 development applications in the latest 12 month period. Recent examples include residential building work, stormwater, earthworks and roadworks at Henebery Road, plus a swimming pool application. This activity is higher than a no activity scenario, but the final effect depends on approvals and completed works.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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